Wheeled IV stands are in use in hundreds of hospitals nationwide. These stands allow IV bags and bottles to be safely supported at a level that will create gravity flow to the patient or to intermediate devices such as IV pumps. There has been a recognition for many years that it is important, to the health of the patient, and to the cost of the delivery of medical services, to provide aids to make it possible for patients to become ambulatory, and self-sufficient, as quickly as possible. As IV stands have evolved, auxiliary functions have been added to accommodate additional functionality such as provisions for ambulatory patient support, and for mounting additional equipment and supplies such as oxygen bottles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,378, which is co-owned with the present invention, is an example of an advance in IV stands that has added additional functionality by providing patient support in the form of a support wheel that allows the patient to use the stand in the manner of a walker while the patient remains connected to IV support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,992, which is also co-owned with the present invention, is a device that allows an IV stand to be supported on a wheeled bed so that the necessary IV support can be conveniently and safely moved with the patient.
While the above features add functionality to IV stands, they nevertheless increase their size and bulk, which creates storage constraints when the stands are not in use, and makes it difficult to transport the stands.
Folding stands, such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,536 have been devised which reduce the storage volume of the stand when it is being shipped or stored, but such designs must be carried when collapsed, which requires that ambulatory patients have assistance in navigating stairs and the like. Folding stands, according to prior designs, have also had to compromise strength to achieve folding.
The deficiencies of prior stands are particularly apparent when the stands are used outside of the hospital environment. These deficiencies include the inability of present stands to facilitate the traverse of stairs and other obstacles, and the inability of stands to collapse or collapse sufficiently to allow the stands to be easily transported in vehicles.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a wheeled IV stand that can accommodate a high degree of accessory functionality, and at the same time allow the patient to easily transit stairs and other obstacles, and which can be configured to occupy a small volume when being stored or transported.